


You've Got A Friend

by LunaPrinBeauty



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:02:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21818608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaPrinBeauty/pseuds/LunaPrinBeauty
Summary: Eve Gamp and Remus Lupin were once childhood friends, nearly inseparable, but a curse ripped them away from each other. Now, six years later, both will reunite again at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in a series of one-shots featuring the Marauders earlier years at Hogwarts. Covers highlights of Years 1-5 in no particular order.





	1. Chapter 1

**One Shot 1: After all these years**

**August 16, 1971**

"Hey, let me see!" Six year old Connor Gamp made a grab for his eleven year old sister's wand, but his mother gently pulled him back, giving him a rather stern look.

"That's Eve's wand, Connor. Besides, you're too young to hold one." Mrs. Gamp let go of her son when it seemed like he wouldn't make another move to snatch it out of his older sister's hand.

Connor huffed. "Why does Eve get a wand, but I don't? I want one too!"

"That's enough, Connor Marcus Gamp!" their father said in a very firm tone. "When you turn eleven and receive your Hogwarts letter like your sister, then you'll get your own wand. But until then, I don't want to catch even thinking about trying to think of taking Eve's wand."

"You know that having a wand is all that's going to be on his mind now?" Eve spoke up, her lips twitching in amusement as she admired her new wand. While in Ollivanders, she'd gone through a lot of wands, many of them backfiring and leaving quite a mess in the shop and others just not feeling quite right. That is, until she was handed a wand that was ten and three-quarter inches and made of Cedar with a Phoenix Feather core. When she'd touched it, she felt a warmth traveling through her fingertips that she'd never felt before. It felt right in her hand, like a piece of her that had been missing for eleven years had finally come home.

The rest of the shops weren't as exciting as Ollivanders, but she did try to drag her parents into Quality Quidditch Supplies to look at broomsticks. In her opinion, it wasn't fair that first years weren't allowed broomsticks.

"I promise, you can have a broom next year," Mrs. Gamp reassured her daughter, who was now lightly pouting.

Mr. Gamp clapped a hand on Eve's shoulder. "She's going to need a good one too if she's going to be on the Gryffindor team just like I was," he boasted proudly.

Eve fought the urge to roll her eyes. "But I might not be in Gryffindor." She didn't know why her dad was so obsessed with her getting into a certain House.

"Nonsense, of course you will be! You take after your old man of course!"

Mrs. Gamp shook her head. "Philip, whatever House our daughter ends up in, we'll support her no matter what, right?" she admonished him.

Mr. Gamp merely nodded, but still gave his daughter a meaningful look. It was his dream that both of his children would end up in Gryffindor. Before he could utter another sound, his wife let out a noise of excitement.

"Hope...Lyall?" The rest of the family found themselves following her as they approached a family of three that, for some reason, looked familiar to Eve, although she couldn't exactly put her finger on why.

"Ingrid?" The woman named Hope's lips curled into a wide, but nervous smile. "It's been…"

"Seven years!" Mrs. Gamp finished, pulling the light haired woman in for a hug while Mr. Gamp gave Lyall a hearty handshake.

Eve stood back mildly confused and her brother even more so until Hope's brown eyes rested on her. "Why, this can't be young Eve, can it?"

The young girl gave a small smile, but her eyes soon turned to the boy standing between the man and woman. He stood a few inches taller and appeared to be around her age. Her own blue-green eyes traveled over his pale features, stopping to stare into his light-green eyes that looked so familiar at her. It was only when they crinkled slightly at the corners that she realized who she was staring at.

"R-Remus?" He had grown taller and his features had changed with age, but there was no denying those eyes and the way they would crinkle at the corners when he appeared to be in deep thought. That appeared to be something that would never change.

Lyall squeezed his son's shoulder. "You remember Eve, don't you, Remus?" He chuckled. "Well, I suppose it has been a while. You two haven't seen each other since you were around four." Eve could've sworn she saw an expression of guilt pass over his face before it disappeared as he turned his attention to Connor. "Who's this young man?"

Eve, however, had started tuning out the rest of the conversation as she stared at Remus. He was no longer looking at her. Instead, he was looking down at his beat up shoes, his light brown hair falling over his eyes. It wasn't just the lost years that made him seem different, it was something else. But Eve couldn't exactly put her finger on it.

* * *

**Early 1965**

"Eve, wait up!" Remus huffed as he ran after the pigtailed haired girl. "We're not supposed to go into those woods, our parents said so!"

Eve merely giggled and twirled around, her light blue dress twirling around her and her two braids whipping around her face. "We might find some really interesting creatures though like Newt Scamander! Don't you want to find a Centaur or a Graphorn?"

Not wanting to be left behind, Remus followed her as she climbed over the wooden fence that lined the woods. "But there's nothing like that in these woods, Eve, only foxes, wolves, and rabbits mostly."

Eve shook her head, putting her hands on her hips. "But we haven't explored all of these woods. I bet if we go deeper, we'll find loads of different creatures!"

Remus looked back towards the row of houses that made up the small town Eve and he lived in. Part of him wanted to drag Eve back with him, but another part, the more adventurous side of him did want to see what they could find. In the end, one side won over the other.

"Okay, but just until lunchtime," he agreed.

Eve grinned and took his hand, leading him deeper into the forest. "Deal!"

_A few hours later…_

"I wanted to find a centaur," Eve pouted huffily as Remus and she climbed back over the fence. "Maybe they only come out at night?"

"Or maybe there aren't any in this forest?" Remus suggested as Eve helped him over the fence.

"There are and I'm going to find them!" Eve could be known for her stubbornness at times. "I'll even take a picture!"

Remus didn't want to agree or disagree, so he changed the subject. "Hey, you're coming to my birthday party, right?"

Eve giggled. "Remy, your birthday isn't for another three weeks, silly!"

The young boy blushed when Eve referred to him as the nickname she often called him. "I know, but I just wanted to invite you early."

Eve squeezed his hand. "Yup and I'll bring you the best present ever! You're going to have a chocolate cake, aren't you?"

"It's the only cake in the world to have." Remus grinned at the fact that his friend also shared the same love for chocolate like he did.

When they reached Eve's home, her mother was waiting with a furious expression on her face. "You went into the forest again didn't you?"

Eve tried her best to look innocent, but she was unable to fool her mother who was very good at seeing through her facial lies. "How many times do I have to tell you not to go wandering around in there?"

"But we didn't go far, Mum."

"I don't want you even taking half a step in there. When your father gets home, we're going to sit down and have a discussion about your lack of respect for the rules."

"But Mum-" Eve began to complain.

"Don't 'but Mum' me. Now, tell Remus good-bye and wash up for lunch. I'll be upstairs in a minute to get the grass stains out of your dress.

Eve looked down at the blue dress and shrugged. She didn't know what was wrong with a bit of grass. Still, she knew better than to further incur her mother's wrath and turned to Remus. "I'll see you tomorrow!" She waved cheerfully before pulling him in for a hug.

Once Remus was gone, Eve hurried upstairs. She really couldn't wait to play with him again.

* * *

_Two weeks later..._

Eve couldn't believe that she would have to miss Remus' party. Unfortunately, she would be visiting her grandparents at that time. They'd gotten tickets to a Quidditch Match between the Kenmare Kestrals and the Montrose Magpies. Both were teams that Eve liked, but she hated the thought of having to miss Remus' party because of it.

After a bit of arguing with her parents, Eve was allowed to stop by Remus' house in hopes of giving him his birthday presents early. Mr. and Mrs. Lupin were sure to let her in. As she carried the wrapped packages, she thought of what Remus' reaction would be when he opened the box of chocolate frogs and the first edition copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, signed by Newt Scamander, himself! Eve had her own copy at home and now Remu would have his own.

She expected to be greeted with smiles when the door was opened, but instead, Remus' mother looked like she'd been crying for hours. Her normally warm and cheerful light brown eyes were red around the edges, paired with dark circles making it clear that she hadn't slept in quite a few days.

"Hi, Mrs. Lupin." Eve smiled. "Is Remus home?"

Mrs. Lupin's voice cracked slightly as she began to speak, but she cleared her throat and spoke more smoothly. "I'm afraid he's a little under the weather, dear."

Eve frowned, hating the thought of her friend being sick. "Oh, well can I please just see him for five minutes? I only want to give him his birthday presents early. My grandparents got tickets to a Quidditch match between the Magpies and the Kestrals and I won't be able to make his party because my grandparents also want to spend extra time with me after that."

Mrs. Lupin wanted to say something, but the sound of her husband's voice pulled her back inside and she closed the door, leaving Eve standing on the doorstep, more confused than she'd ever been in her life. She was so used to them letting her inside the minute they saw her. What was wrong? Was Remus contagious? Was that why his mum was so reluctant to let her inside?

She wished she could hear what was being said, but the voices were muffled. After a few minutes, Mrs. Lupin opened the door again. "I'm sorry, dear. I don't think it's a good idea for you to see Remus right now. I don't want you getting sick like him."

"Oh…" Eve's shoulders dropped and she couldn't hide her disappointment no matter how hard she tried. "Well, can you at least give him these?" she held out the two gifts, which Mrs. Lupin took.

"Of course, dear." She smiled, but to Eve it seemed forced. "Give your mum and dad my love."

For a second, Eve wanted to push past her and rush upstairs to see Remus for herself. She had a nagging feeling that Mrs. Lupin wasn't being completely honest with her. But in the end, Eve said her goodbyes and left them. Little did she know, that fun day in the forest was the last day she would ever see Remus Lupin for many years.

She came back from her grandparents about three days after Remus' birthday. The first thing she did was go to Remus' house, hoping to tell him all about the Quidditch Map and to give him the souvenirs she'd bought for him: a Kestrals Flag and a tiny toy Shooting Star that actually flew around. She also couldn't wait to ask him how he'd liked his presents and if there was maybe at least one small slice of cake left.

But when Eve reached the Lupin's residence, she saw a 'For Sale' sign on the front lawn. Were they really moving. Yet, when Eve peered into one of the windows that didn't have the shades drawn, she discovered with a heavy heart that the furniture was gone. The Lupins weren't in the process of moving, they'd already left.

That day had left Eve confused, sad, angry, scared, and feeling betrayed. Why did they move and why hadn't Remus said anything? Had he known for a while, but not said anything? She'd asked her parents and a few residents around town, but none of them could answer the one question she had. Even sending letters had proved useless as she didn't receive a reply.

Eve ended up making other friends throughout her years and thoughts of Remus Lupin faded until he was just a thought in the back of her head that usually popped up before she went to bed or whenever she was reading. As she grew older, she became somewhat used to the fact that she may never see him again.

At least, that's what she thought until that day in Diagon Alley.

* * *

**Back to today**

The two families headed into The Magical Menagerie, mostly for Eve to get a pet like her parents promised she could have. The four adults appeared to be catching up on the years they'd missed and Connor seemed more interested in the toads, but Eve grabbed hold of Remus' wrist and pulled him over to where a small litter of baby Kneazles were playing.

"All these years...you never wrote to me?" Eve asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

Remus kicked at the floor. "I didn't know what to say."

"That's all you can come up with?" Eve swallowed the lump in her throat. "I haven't seen you in six years! I thought something bad might have happened to you and your family. Do you have any ideas how many owls I sent you? I probably wrote you five letters a week!"

"I'm sorry…"

"You have no idea how much I missed you, Remy." Remus abruptly looked up when she called him by the nickname that he hadn't heard in so long. She could've sworn the corners of his lips turned up and her anger slowly faded. As much as she wanted to demand answers from him about why he had moved and what he had been doing for so many years, she knew that those questions could be saved for another day. He definitely wasn't off the hook.

"Help me pick one out?" she asked, pointing to the Kneazle kittens. Remus seemed to almost sigh in relief as the two of them knelt down to play with the adorable potential pets and spoke quietly to one another. In the end, Eve walked out of the Menagerie holding a carrier with a small black Kneazle that she'd picked out because his light green eyes reminded her so much of Remus'. She also decided to name him Loki because of his mischievous nature when Remus and she were playing with him in the shop.

All too soon, Eve had gotten all of her school supplies and Remus and she were forced to go their separate ways. Even though she'd been so happy to see him, she was left wondering if they could continue their friendship right where they left off, or if everything had changed for the worst. One thing was for certain, though. With Remus also attending Hogwarts that September, the chances of him leaving without warning again was very slim. At least, that's what she hoped.


	2. Chapter 2

**One Shot 2: The Hogwarts Express and the Sorting**

**September 1, 1971**

"Now are you sure you have everything, Eve?" Mrs. Gamp asked her daughter as the family stood on Platform 9 and ¾, in the process of seeing the young girl off.

"Yes, Mum." Eve patted her seven locked trunk, which she'd received for her eleventh birthday before turning to hug her younger brother. "Try not to give Mum and Dad too much trouble, squirt." She knelt down to kiss him on the cheek, which he reacted to with a sour expression.

"Ewwww, girl cooties!" As he tried to frantically wipe the 'cooties' from his cheek, Mr. Gamp stepped up to hug Eve as well.

"Write often and let us know what you think of Gryffindor House. I'm sure you're going to love it just as much as I did."

Eve suppressed a sigh. "You know that I might not be put into Gryffindor, Dad. I might be put into Ravenclaw like Mum was."

Mr. Gamp glanced at his wife, who smiled back at him before turning back to his daughter. "Well, I suppose if you don't get put into Gryffindor, then Ravenclaw is the next best place to be. After all, it's where your mother came from." He gave her a tender look, which softened Eve's frustration towards him and his obsession for certain Houses.

"I just hope you're not in Slytherin or Hufflepuff," Mr. Gamp added after a beat and the tender moment was over.

"Dad…can I please go now?" She didn't want to spend another five minutes listening to her father rant about the flaws of the other Houses, especially when she didn't have that much time at all since the train would be leaving the station in three minutes.

Mr. Gamp relented and another set of quick goodbyes was said and Eve boarded the train. Almost immediately she wished she'd boarded sooner as all the compartments seemed full already. All throughout her family seeing her off, she hadn't seen Remus on the platform either and worried that he might have decided not to go. After a few minutes of searching, she was about to give up hope when she passed by a nearly empty compartment that only appeared to hold two people and stopped to back up and peer in.

She could see Remus with his nose in a book and a pudgy looking boy with mousy hair sitting across from him with an extremely jittery expression. With a smile, she pushed the compartment door open and stepped inside, placing Loki's carrier underneath the seat and letting the Kneazle inside continue to sleep before plopping down next to Remus.

"I thought I'd never find a seat!"

Remus didn't look up from his book, but Eve noticed from the title that he was reading Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. Eve could feel a lump building in her throat as she noticed that it was the signed copy that she had attempted to give him for his early birthday present all those years ago, only to discover that his family and he had moved a few weeks later. She still had to ask what happened and why he moved. But she couldn't very well ask while there was someone else in the compartment with them.

Speaking of which, Eve directed her gaze towards the boy sitting across from them and smiled cheerfully. "Hi! What's your name?"

"O-Oh...Peter P-Pettigrew." He shifted nervously.

"Hey, Peter! I'm Eve. Is this your first year too? Are you excited?"

Peter nodded. "Yes, but...I don't know about excited. I'm pretty rubbish as a wizard."

Before Eve could say something, Remus put his book down and looked up. Eve's eyebrows furrowed in concerned as she noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the fact that his face looked thinner than before now that she could see it properly without the book concealing part of it.

"I'm pretty sure you're not rubbish," he said. "It's the first year for all of us. I'm sure that by the second week you'll be casting all sorts of spells perfectly."

Peter still seemed unsure, but smiled nonetheless. "I guess so…" then he frowned. "But...what if I'm the only one who doesn't learn anything? What if I end up breaking my wand on the first day and have to go an entire year without one?"

"That's not going to happen," Eve said confidently. "You're going to learn loads and even if your wand does break, do you think that you'll be forced to go the entire year without one? I'm sure the Headmaster would give you permission to go to Ollivanders to get another one. Either way, I don't think your wand is going to break on the first day."

Remus picked up his book again. "You'll do just as good as us other first years." He gave a small smile.

"Hey, what House do you think you'll be in?" Eve asked curiously. Hopefully neither of them would be biased towards a certain one like her father was.

Peter shrugged. "I want to be in Gryffindor. I heard it's the best House of the four and has produced some very famous witches and wizards in the past. But I bet I get put into dumb ol' Hufflepuff."

"What's wrong with Hufflepuff?" Eve asked, thinking about one of her role-models, Newt Scamander, who had been a Hufflepuff and had gone on to do great things in life.

"That House is a joke," a voice spoke from the doorway of the compartment and the three looked up to see a girl about their ages pushing her wavy dark blonde hair from her eyes. "It's the place where witches and wizards who hope to never amount to nothing go."

Eve was silent for a moment before her lips curled into a knowing smile. "Bridget Wenlock, Artemsia Lufkin, Grogan Stump, Newton Scamander, Hengist of Woodcroft."

The blonde girl rolled her eyes. "What are you on about?"

"Wenlock was a famous Arithmancer who discovered the magical properties of seven. Lufkin was the Minister of Magic in the late 1700s to early 1800s and the first female to found the Department of International Magical Creation. Stump was Minister after her and created the Beast, Being, and Spirit Divisions of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He also founded the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

The girl huffed, but now seemed a little unsure. "Oh yeah? What about the other two then?"

That was when Remus spoke up. "Newton Scamander is perhaps the most famous magizoologist in the world and wrote Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them." He held up the copy of the book, which he was reading. He also helped duel and apprehended the dark wizard Grindelwald as well."

"What about that Hengist bloke? Surely he couldn't have done something meaningful."

Eve smiled. "Hengist was the one who founded that all-wizarding village, Hogsmeade."

The girl now appeared to be in a deep thought as she sat down next to Peter. "Did you read all that in a book or did you just make up all of that? I thought Newt Scamander was a Gryffindor. That's what a lot of people have said at least…" But now she didn't seem certain.

"If there's a book about the subject then there's a guarantee that it's going to have the real answers," Remus said, glancing up at the girl.

"You always did like your books, eh, Remy?" Eve teased, playfully elbowing him, which made the young wizard blush and bury his nose into his book again.

The blonde girl snorted. "Remy?"

"Er...Remus...Remus Lupin," he said, now not taking his eyes off of the book as he turned a page.

The girl smirked. "I'm Marlene McKinnon."

Eve waved, despite the animosity coming from the girl a few moments ago, she didn't seem so bad...just misled about certain things. "Eve Gamp."

Peter gave a wobbly smile. "I'm P-Peter Pettigrew."

Marlene nodded before making herself comfortable. "It's annoying that us first years can't try out for Quidditch let alone have our own brooms. "I tried to sneak my Nimbus 1001 into my trunk, but my Mum caught me and I had to leave it behind."

"Maybe the professors just want us to get better at flying," Eve pointed out. "Quidditch is a dangerous sport. Besides, my dad told me that students are allowed to try out for their teams in the second year."

Marlene waved a hand dismissively. "I'll just send an owl to my little sister and ask her to send me my broomstick when our parents aren't looking."

"You'll get in trouble if you get caught," Remus said. "The rules are there for our own safety. It would be best to follow them."

Marlene pretended to yawn, clearly bored. "Whatever, I'll find a way. I mean, how do they expect me to remain good at flying if I can't have a broom?"

Eve shrugged. "My mum told me that the school has its own brooms and first years can take Flying Classes."

"Well obviously! But that's all the boring basics and I know all of those. If us first years can't join our House Quidditch Team then at least they should teach us some moves."

"B-But I thought you already knew everything th-there is to know about f-flying," Peter stammered, earning a glare from the brown eyed girl.

"Of course I do! But I'm just saying...there might be a Quidditch Maneuver that I don't know about yet and I want to learn it."

Eve's lips couldn't help twitching in amusement. Marlene seemed so sure and confident in herself. But she couldn't help wondering if some of that boasting was a lie. She doubted that Marlene's parents would allow her to have a top of the line racing broom like The Nimbus 1001. After all, she'd asked her parents for one when it first came out and they said that she was far too young. Then again, maybe Marlene's parents were different. Eve had no way of knowing.

Remus put his book away and stood up. "I'm going to go change into my robes."

Eve frowned. "But we won't be arriving for another few hours. You don't have to do it now."

"I know, but I just want to be ready." He turned to Peter. "You coming?"

Peter nodded and followed Remus out of the compartment. Eve chuckled, surprised that he hadn't already been changed into his robes when she first found him in the compartment.

"Do you think he'd tell on me for having my own broom in the school?" Marlene asked, glancing at the compartment door, which Remus and Peter had left through. "I bet he's the type who won't be able to wait to get other students in trouble in order to get on the teachers' good side."

"I think you should actually get to know someone before you judge them," Eve said in a calm voice, but there was an expression of warning in her blue-green eyes. The thought of anyone judging Remus didn't sit right with her and she had an overwhelming urge to protect and stick up for him.

Marlene sighed. "So, how do you two know each other by the way? You neighbors or something?"

Eve fiddled with a small hole in her trousers, unsure of if she should tell Marlene the full story as every time she thought about Remus' disappearance for six years, it made her upset all over again, especially since she didn't know why.

"We lived in the same village together and played with each other a lot. But then his dad ended up getting a job transfer and the family ended up having to move pretty far away." Eve hated to lie, but if she told her that one day Remus and his family were gone without warning, then Marlene might want answers that Eve couldn't give her because she didn't know, herself.

"Wow, that really sucks. He did write you though, didn't he?"

Eve's heart skipped a beat for a second. "Well, yeah! Why wouldn't he?" She then pretended to be interested in Loki and knelt down to check on the sleeping Kneazle, wishing he'd wake up so that she could distract Marlene with his cuteness. But the little kitten was fully nocturnal and, therefore, spent most of his daytime sleeping, only waking up when he was hungry.

Luckily, Eve was saved from having to lie further as Remus and Peter walked back inside, looking nice in their robes, although Eve noticed that Peter's trousers appeared to be a bit too long for him, but she didn't say anything, remembering all those jumpers she'd gotten for Christmas from her grandmother with those words, 'You'll grow into them'. She had no idea if that's what all grandparents said or just her own.

* * *

The rest of the train ride passed by uneventfully. About forty-five minutes before the train was due to arrive at the Hogsmeade Train Station, Marlene disappeared to get changed into her robes and Peter headed off to track down the trolley lady for a few pumpkin pasties. With the two of them alone in the compartment, Eve felt that this was the best time to ask Remus what she'd been wanting to ask him since she'd run into him in Diagon Alley a few weeks ago.

"So, are you going to tell me why you and your family just left without warning?" She tried not to sound demanding, but that's what it came off as.

Remus attempted to suppress a wince and glanced out of the window, suddenly interested in the night sky and the crescent moon that had risen high in the sky. "It was one of those spur of the moment things. My dad got a new job and had to start right away." He avoided looking at her.

"But that doesn't explain why you didn't write me for all those years, Remus!" She bit down on her bottom lip when she realized that she was yelling. "I understand that sometimes things happen outside of your control...such as your dad getting a job and you having to move because of that. But there was no reason why you couldn't have written. Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

Remus ran his hands over his face, distressed. "It's complicated, Eve. I didn't write to you because I was scared."

Eve wanted to be angry, but when he said that, her expression softened. "Scared of what?"

Remus sighed. "It was six years ago. Can't we just forget about it. It's not that important."

"Remy…" But he'd already picked up his book again and Eve knew the conversation was over, especially when Peter returned and Marlene a few moments after him. Eve stood up and grabbed her carry-on bag, which held her robes and uniform, spared one last sad glance at Remus, then left the compartment to change into her robes.

Fortunately, the girl's lavatory on the train was empty and Eve was able to get changed in peace. However, when it came to the tie, Eve began to struggle. She sighed, wishing she'd listened to her mum as she showed her daughter how to make a proper tie knot instead of being more interested in playing with Loki.

"You need help with that?" a voice asked just as Eve was about ready to throw her knotted tie on the ground and give up.

"I don't know, it seems to have a mind of its own," Eve muttered as she looked up at a girl with long auburn hair and the brightest green eyes that she'd ever seen. Her robes looked immaculate and it was rather clear that she could knot her own tie with no problem.

The girl stepped forward and picked the tie up off the ground. Because Eve was about the same height as her, she didn't have to kneel. "If you tie it like this, you can loosen it enough to take it off without completely untying it again," the girl explained.

"Maybe I should've listened to my mum when she was showing me how to do it." Eve smiled sheepishly. "I'm Eve by the way."

The girl smiled. "Lily. This is your first year too?"

Eve nodded. "My dad's hoping I get into Gryffindor."

Lily straightened the tie and stepped back, admiring her work. "Oh, your dad's a wizard?"

"Both my parents are. Well, my mum's a witch. What about your parents?" she tilted her head curiously.

Lily tugged at the hem of her black pleated skirt. "Both my parents are Muggles. Or...at least that's what other witches and wizards call them."

Eve's mouth dropped open. "You're a Muggle-born? Wow! What's it's like? Do you use a fellyphone? How do you send letters if you don't have owls? Does your family really do everything without magic? Including cooking?"

Lily looked taken aback at first, but then started laughing. "It's called a telephone and yes, we own one, and we send letters through a type of postal system. It's a little hard to explain fully. Yes, my parents do everything without magic. My mum is actually a really good cook."

"Wooooow…" Eve was in awe. Remus was half-blood with his mother being a Muggle, but Eve had never met a real Muggle-born before.

Lily smiled again. "I should get back to my compartment, we'll probably be arriving soon."

Eve had so many more questions, but she didn't want to overwhelm the girl after only knowing her for five minutes. The two of them went their separate ways and Eve made her own way back to her compartment with Remus, Peter, and Marlene.

* * *

After fifteen more minutes, the train began to slow down as it pulled to a stop at the train station. Students of all ages began to file out. The older students separated completely from the first years and headed towards a few horseless carriages that had pulled up to take them to the castle. Eve assumed that they were enchanted to pull themselves.

"Firs' years, this way!" A very tall man waved a lantern, directing the first year students towards him.

"Whoa, do you see how tall he is?" Marlene whispered to Eve as they approached the tall bearded man.

"He might be a half-giant," Eve said thoughtfully. "I read about them in one of my creature books."

"Huh? Are you saying that a giant and a normal human can make a baby together? How is that possible?"

Eve shrugged. "The books don't go into a lot of detail about giant-human procreation. But half-giants are rather rare. So, it's safe to say that the procreation doesn't happen often."

The first years were led to a set of boats that sat in the inky water. "No more'n four ter a boat!" The tall man called out and Eve climbed into one of the boats with Marlene with Remus giving Peter a hand into the same boat.. She heard some laughing and looked over at one of the boats where two dark haired boys, one who wore thick spectacles, were trying to push each other into the water and making the boat rock and sway. As their boat was only a couple small feet away from Eve and her friends, the water splashed onto them.

"Oops, sorry!" the boy with the shaggier dark hair called, but soon collapsed into a fit of laughter with the other boy.

Luckily, the boys stopped rough-housing as the boats started to move on their own, led by the tall man who had his own boat. Eve held her breath the entire time and it was only when she caught the first glimpse of the castle that she let out a whoosh of air, her eyes widening in wonder. She could hear a set of gasps behind her and turned to see Remus, Peter, and Marlene also as open-mouthed and wide-eyed as she was. She'd seen pictures of the school in one of her many books, but photographs just didn't do it justice. She had never seen anything more magnificent in her life.

The boats all came to a stop at a set of docks that led up to the castle steps and the student clambered out, Eve giving Peter a hand when he almost fell into the water. In just a few short minutes, they would all be sorted into their Houses. The thought of it set Eve's heart to pounding. What if she couldn't be placed? What if she was the only student in the entire school that didn't end up anywhere?"

Her eyes traveled to the other three first years next to her and she noticed that they looked nervous as well, even the usually confident and haughty Marlene. At that moment, the tall oak doors opened and the first years were greeted by a severe looking woman dressed in emerald green robes and her black hair pulled back into a severe bun underneath a tall pointed hat. She regarded the first years underneath a pair of black-rimmed spectacles.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from here."

The man named Hagrid smiled warmly at the students, his dark eyes twinkling and Eve felt immediately at ease that she turned and waved. "Bye Mr. Hagrid. I hope to see you again!"

The stately witch cleared her throat and gave a stern look towards Eve. "Come along now." The students were led into the Entrance Hall, which Eve noticed was massive. In fact, she bet that she could fit a hundred of her own family's house into it.

They came to another set of double doors where the tall woman stopped again and turned to face the nervous, but eager students.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. I'm Professor McGonagall, your Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration Professor."

Marlene leaned over to whisper to Eve. "If she's the Deputy Head, I'd hate to think of how strict the Headmaster is."

"I don't know, but I've seen pictures of Professor Dumbledore in a few of my books and he looks really nice." Eve tried to answer back quietly, but Professor McGonagall's sharp eyes directed themselves at the two girls.

"Please do not speak while I am talking. You'll all have a chance to get to know each other once you're sorted into your Houses. "They are Gryffindor…" The two boys who had been messing around in the boats let out a cheer, but stopped when McGonagall cleared her throat and gave them firm looks. "Hufflepuff…" This earned a snicker from some of the students because of the House's funny name. "Ravenclaw...and Slytherin." Eve noticed that McGonagall's tone seemed to darken when she mentioned Slytherin and a sour expression washed over her face for a split second before regaining its stern appearance.

"Now, while you're here, your House will be like your family. You will gain points for your triumphs, but any rule breaking will lose your House points. Keep this in mind because at the end of the year, the House with the most points will win the House Cup, a great honor for all of the students in the winning House, I can assure you."

The students were starting to look anxious now and shifted on their own two feet. McGonagall regarded them one last time before turning and leading them through the second set of double doors and into the Great Hall.

* * *

Everyone let out noises of awe and appreciation at the Great Hall. Eve found herself staring at the ceiling, which looked like night sky.

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside," a sallow faced boy explained to the girl named Lily who Eve had met in the lavatory on the train. "It's not actually real."

"Pretty sure she worked that out for herself, Snivellus," the bespectacled boy snickered.

"Sod off, Potter!" the greasy-haired boy hissed while Lily glared at Potter and his friend who was smirking.

McGonagall cleared her throat loudly again and everyone turned to look at her, noticing her standing on the platform where the head table was next to a stool, on top of which sat an old dusty hat.

"When I call your names. You'll place the Sorting Hat on your heads and will be sorted into your Houses."

As she began calling the first name, Peter appeared worried. "You mean we have to stand in front of a bunch of people? I thought we'd all be sorted in private," he whispered anxiously.

"You have nothing to worry about," Remus said reassuringly. "From what my dad told me, it only takes a few moments." He squeezed Peter's shoulder comfortingly.

"That's right," the boy with the untidy hair spoke up. "I heard that sometimes it happens so fast. You blink and you're sorted. Try that."

The first student, a boy named Avery, was sorted into Slytherin. Next the name, Black, Sirius was called and the shaggy haired boy stepped up and placed the hat on his head. At first nothing happened, but then the hat opened its wide brim and bellowed, "GRYFFINDOR!" Sirius whipped the hat off of his head with a flourish and appeared smug as he stepped off of the platform and made his way to the table, giving the Potter boy a high five on the way.

Bones, Amelia became the first Hufflepuff and the other Hufflepuffs cheered as she walked happily to her table. After a few more names, Evans, Lily was called and almost a second after the hat was placed on her head, it declared her a GRYFFINDOR!

The boy who had been standing beside her grew sour faced as Lily went to join her table. There was now only two more people before her. Farrison Pandora was sorted into Ravenclaw and Fawley Christina was placed into Hufflepuff.

"Gamp, Eve!"

Eve was frozen on the spot. She knew that this moment would come sooner or later, but now that it was here, there was a small part of her that wanted to turn and run, but a light push from Marlene gave her the little bit of courage to step up onto the platform.

McGonagall's stern eyes softened slightly and her lips curled into an almost smile as the Sorting Hat was placed on her head, blocking her view of everything else. She jumped as a voice started speaking to her, only heard inside her head.

" _Well now, this is difficult. You definitely have a great deal of courage and nerve, but there's also a lot of dedication, kindness, and tolerance as well. You're very bright and don't mind working hard to achieve your goals. Oh, my, my, my. Where should I put you?"_

" _My father wants me to be in Gryffindor and even though I'd be happy with any House, I don't want to disappoint him."_

" _Yes, I remember. Your father was so adamant that he be put into Gryffindor. But you...you're quite different from him."_

" _I don't want him to be disappointed in me…"_

" _It's true that you do exhibit a few of the traits that make a good Gryffindor, but I'm sensing something more. You value other traits that you consider more important than bravery or nerve."_

" _Other traits?"_

After a few moments, the Hat's voice rang throughout the Great Hall. "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The hat was whipped off of Eve's head and she stood up wobbly. Despite her fear over her dad's reaction when he found out what House she was placed in, she grinned from ear to ear as she walked to her House table to join her fellow students. Those sitting closest to her clapped her on the back and congratulated her.

The Sorting continued with a few more hat-stalls similar to hers before the students were eventually sorted. Lovegood, Xenophilius was sorted into Ravenclaw and Remus stepped up after him. Eve held her breath as the Hat had its inner conversation with Remus before declaring him a GRYFFINDOR! Eve beamed loudly and clapped so hard that her hands hurt as Remus joined his table, sitting next to Lily.

There weren't very many students left, which made Eve happy because she was starving. She was beginning to regret not getting any snacks on the train. MacDonald, Mary became another Gryffindor, followed by Marlene who was almost immediately sorted into Slytherin. Eve couldn't help wondering if this would hurt that small acquaintanceship that the two girls had established on the train. What if Marlene ended up like those other dark witches and wizards that she read about who came from Slytherin?

Meadowes, Dorcas became another Hufflepuff and sat across from Eve, smiling brightly. After a few more sortings, Peter was placed into Gryffindor after the Hat took quite a long time to decide where he should be placed. He was followed by Potter, James who was also sorted into Gryffindor, the Hat only needing a few seconds to decide.

Three students were sorted into Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw respectively before Snape, Severus was called. The hat barely touched his greasy hair before bellowing, "SLYTHERIN!"

He looked very proud of himself as he walked with his head held high towards his table. A boy named Stebbins became a Hufflepuff and three sortings later, the last first year, Wilkes, became a Slytherin. The Sorting Hat was carried away right after he joined his table and Professor Dumbledore stood up.

"Let the feast, begin!"

Eve immediately began piling food onto her plate the minute it appeared. While she ate, she met her fellow dorm-mates: Amelia Bones, Christina Fawley, and Dorcas Meadowes. They all seemed rather nice with Christina being a little quieter. As Eve spent dinner getting to know her fellow Hufflepuffs, the worry over her father's reaction faded and she realized that she had found her perfect home. Hufflepuff was where she belonged and she hoped to be able to prove herself as she grew older.


	3. Chapter 3

**One** **Shot 3: Fights, Realizations and Magical Creatures**

**November 1974**

"You're staring at Gamp again aren't you, mate?" Sirius whispered to Remus as the two of them gathered outside near a large blue fire for another Care of Magical Creatures class.

"Her hair looks nice today," Remus shrugged, but his cheeks were red. Eve's hair was in the ponytail that it always was, but it was the only excuse he could think of. James and Peter soon joined them with the former heartily squeezing the light haired wizard's shoulder.

"Need some help?" Before Remus could object, James cupped his hands over his mouth. "Oi, Gamp! Remus says your hair looks nice and that he wouldn't mind snogging you!"

Remus was mortified and wanted desperately to crawl underneath the biggest rock he could find. James' shouting earned a couple of snickers from a few of the other students. "I-I didn't say that, Eve! I mean...I like it...your hair I mean...not snogging. I mean...snogging is nice, but not with you! Crap! I didn't mean it like that!"

James, Sirius, and Peter were trying to hold back laughter at the fact that their friend was getting flustered.

Eve's cheeks turned a very light pink for a brief moment before she regained her composure, her lips forming a grin. "You guys stop teasing him, eh?"

Sirius stopped laughing long enough to speak. "Eh, sorry, mate. It's just pretty funny the way you get so flustered whenever we even mention her." He nodded towards Eve who was now talking to Marlene, unaware that she kept glancing over whenever the Marauders weren't looking her way.

"She's all right," James shrugged, but not as pretty as Evan."

"Speaking of which…" Peter muttered, nodding towards a pair of students approaching and James' face turned sour when he noticed it was Lily approaching with Snape.

"What does ol' greasy Snivellus have that I don't?" James muttered as he ruffled his hair to make it look messier than it usually did.

Sirius lifted a finger, pretending to think for a moment. "I got nothing." He then drew his wand. "How about we have a little fun before old Kettleburn gets here?"

James smirked and drew his own mahogany wand. "You read my mind."

"You guys really shouldn't," Remus warned them. "You'll get points taken away from Gryffindor again. Remember what happened last time with the toads?"

But Sirius had already flicked his wand. "Melofors!" A large pumpkin encased Snape's head, which made the two darker haired Marauders collapse with laughter.

"Black, you unbelievable git!" She muttered the counter-spell and flicked her wand, freeing Snape. Once freed, Snape stepped in front of Lily and shot a Stinging Jinx at Sirius, but he deflected it and James followed through with a Colloshoo Hex, which forced Snape's feet to become stuck to the ground.

Lily's green eyes flared with anger as she pointed her wand at James. "Engorgio Skullus!" James' head began to inflate to twice the size it normally was.

"You've always had such a big head, Potter. Let's see how you like carrying one around for real!" she said haughtily, her hands on her hips.

* * *

Eve had been watching the exchange with Marlene and couldn't take it anymore. With Kettleburn not there at the moment, she felt like someone had to step in. The two glanced at each other, communicating with one another using only looks, although Marlene seemed more reluctant. "Can't believe we're actually helping that slimy git. He deserves what he's getting in my opinion."

"Still, we should put a stop to it before it gets really bad and before Kettleburn finds them in the middle of it." Eve first used the counter-jinx and returned James' head to normal, then quickly disarmed him and Sirius with two quick Expelliarmus spells back to back. Defensive spells were something she had picked up rather quickly in her Defense Against The Dark Arts Classes, mastering a few of them after a bit of practicing.

Marlene muttered a few curses and freed Snape from the Colloshoo Jinx before also disarming Lily and him with the same two spells.

Snape shot a disgusted look towards the two girls. "You two stay out of this! Especially you, Gamp! You're just a pathetic Hufflepuff! And you!" He glared at Marlene. "You're supposed to be on my side! Where's your Slytherin pride?"

Marlene held her head up high. "I don't side with those who give Slytherin its bad reputation, Snape! I side myself with those who have much better things to do than constantly get into fights with someone just because they were insulted a few times!"

Before Marlene could return with another insult, everyone fell silent as Kettleburn approached, hobbling on his two false legs. No one had ever thought to ask how he'd lost his real ones and often came up with their own stories as to how it happened. Other students felt it might have been too rude to ask.

"Regardless of what animosity you hold towards each other, you lot are here to learn, not throw spells at each other. Ten points from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin and all six of you will receive detention! Yes, Miss McKinnon, even you and Miss Gamp. Even though the two of you did try to put a stop to it, you still raised your wands against your fell wizard and were involved. You're not omitted. All six of you will be serving detention with me this evening and helping me out with a nasty Doxy infestation that has invaded one of the empty classrooms on the fifth floor."

James and Sirius smirked at one another. They got detention just about every other week, so this was nothing new to them, but Lily shot them both dirty looks and picked up hers and Snape's wand. "Thanks a lot you two," she muttered to James and Sirius. "If you two hadn't been so adamant about attacking Severus for no reason, this wouldn't have happened. Now we all have detention."

James winked at her. "You love it, really."

Eve was relieved when Kettleburn cleared his throat and began the lesson because it looked like Lily would have set James' head on fire if he said one more thing to her. If he was trying to impress her, that wasn't the way to go about it. Then again, it was impossible to tell him that as he often failed to hear his own flaws.

* * *

"Now, I'm sure you're all wondering what this fire is for," Kettleburn said as he stoked the fire with a long fire poker. "Today we'll be learning about Salamanders. Who can tell me what exactly these are?"

Eve, who had read about these creatures in her Fantastic Beasts book immediately raised her hand. "Salamanders are small fire dwelling lizards that feed on flames. They're born out of special fires called Salamander fires and usually appear red or blue based on the heat of the flames. They only live as long as the fires that breed them, but can survive for up to six hours outside of their flames if they're fed pepper."

Kettleburn rubbed his chin with his good arm. "A little more than I asked for, but still correct nonetheless. Good job, Miss Gamp. Five point to Hufflepuff."

Eve was hoping it would've been ten points so that she could earn back what she'd lost a few minutes ago. But even if she did, there was still the detention.

"The amount of time it takes these little fellows to be born depends on how hot the fire is. Salamander blood is also quite special as it has very useful healing properties. Although, extracting the blood from a Salamander should only be attempted by a professional wizard with knowledge in the field of magical creatures. Now! For today's lesson, you're all going to be breaking off into groups of two and feeding pepper to the Salamanders as they emerge from the fire." He waved his wand and conjured a crate of pepper grinders. "There's enough for everyone to each have one grinder."

Everyone scrambled to get a pepper grinder from the crate with James discreetly using a jinx to make Snape trip over his own two feet as he attempted to follow Lily.

With a sigh, Eve approached and walked up to Snape, holding out a hand to help him up. He roughly slapped her hand out of the way. "I don't want your help, filthy blood-traitor!" he hissed as he stood up, brushing off his robes and stormed off towards the crate.

Marlene stepped forward and put a comforting hand on Eve's shoulder, her wand drawn. "Want me to hex him? Kettleburn's back is turned. I could remove his fingers for you or give him a nice set of pimples to go with that greasy look he's got going on." She smirked.

"Huh? Don't be silly! You'll get into trouble again."

Marlene shook her head, but pocketed her wand. "I swear, sometimes you Hufflepuffs are too nice."

"We're not nice, we just like to avoid confrontation when possible." She picked up two pepper grinders and handed one to Marlene.

"Well, whatever. But listen, why don't you partner up with Lupin for this." Marlene gave her friend a knowing smile. "You know you want to."

"Actually, I don't. Besides, you know I always partner with you during our Care of Magical Creatures lessons."

Marlene rolled her eyes and gave Eve a light shove towards Remus. "Stop arguing and go do it. I'll partner with Pettigrew." She had that commanding tone that made it hard for Eve to say no.

"All right, all right." Still, she couldn't help smiling as she approached Remus. He'd grown considerably over the past few years that Eve had been friends with him at Hogwarts. She always thought him to be very cute when they were eleven to thirteen. But now, in their fourth year and at the age of fourteen, he had grown considerably more handsome as he began the process of crossing the threshold from a boy into a young man.

Eve couldn't help staring at his features, memorizing them. While he was still thin and she felt the urge to feed him and take care of him, he had filled out considerably, his shoulders a little more broad than they'd been last year. His hair might not have been as long and shaggy as Sirius', but it still often fell into his eyes, and sometimes Eve had to stop herself from reaching over and brushing away the fringe.

"Hey, you." Eve grinned once she was close enough to him. "Think you'd want to be my partner for this lesson?" she asked. "Marlene said she wouldn't mind partnering with Peter."

Peter looked both shocked and confused. Marlene was one of the prettiest girls in the entire school and rarely noticed pudgy uninteresting boys like him. Remus rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"I usually partner with Peter, but I guess...if it's all right with him."

But Peter was already making his way towards Marlene. He was not about to waste this opportunity. Remus and Eve shared a laugh together while watching the short mousy boy practically jog over to Marlene.

* * *

The two of them stood at one side of the fire waiting for a Salamander to emerge, their pepper grinders clutched tightly in their hands. Standing this close to Eve, Remus could smell her mint and tea leaves shampoo along with the scent of earth and grass that was always around her. She smelled like the outdoors, which wasn't surprising since that's where she spent most of her time.

"Been reading or studying outside again?" He indicated the bits of grass on her blouse and skirt.

Eve smiled sheepishly, blushing. "Well it's better than a stuffy library. You know I can't concentrate with Madame Pince breathing down my neck the entire time to make sure I don't burn a hole into the books by just looking at them. Plus the fresh air helps me think better and I like listening to the sound that the wind makes through the trees and watching the sun shine down on the lake and making the water shimmer like diamonds."

Remus chuckled. "I get it, I get it. What about sleeping outside? Didn't you say you always wanted to do that?"

Eve tugged at her dark brown ponytail, looking a little embarrassed for a moment. "Well, I tried that not too long ago. I managed to make it past the prefects with my invisibility cloak, but I ended up knocking over one of the statues that was beside the oak door and was caught by the Head Boy who was passing along. Had to clean out the chamber pots in the Hospital Wing for a week just for that. I about never got the smell off."

"It sounds like a shitty job." Remus grinned at his own joke, making Eve laugh.

"Right? Still, those chamber pots never looked shinier," Eve said proudly, able to find the silver line in even the most disgusting task.

She had a pretty smile, Remus noticed before looking away again. They were just friends. There was no way he could let himself get that close to her, considering what he was. His other friends may no what he was, but he couldn't put her through that. He didn't want to even imagine her reaction if she were to find out. He took a deep breath, pushing the emerging feelings deep down to the pit of his stomach. Just as he did that, the Salamanders began emerging from the fire and Remus was glad for the distraction.

"They're really kind of cute, aren't they?" Eve said as a Salamander wandered away from the flames and began approaching her. She used the pepper to distract it, watching as it enjoyed the small feast. Remus did the same with another Salamander before stoking the fire to make sure it was kept strong.

"They would make good pets, aside from having to worry about your house burning down and you bursting into flames if they touch you."

"Well, I know they're not practical as pets. You'd have to be insane to try and have just one in your house. Still, they're so interesting the way they're born from fire like that and how they rely on that same fire to stay alive as long as possible. But it's also kind of sad…." She frowned.

Remus tilted his head. "Sad?"

"Well, yeah. You can keep the fire going for a long time, but not forever, and especially not for a set number of years. They have to live such short lives and it's terrible."

"Maybe they have such short lifespans in order to prevent overpopulation," Remus explained. "If not for the set lifespan they have, there would be so many of them and they would become even more dangerous than they already are with fires starting everywhere all over the country."

Eve frowned. "Well, maybe. But I still think they deserve better than what they get so far. It's not fair."

"Life is never fair for both creatures and humans," Remus muttered darkly, his smile dropping.

"What is it, Remy?"

Remus cleared his throat, his smile returning, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Nothing, Eve. Just me overthinking again like usual."

Eve looked at him, bewildered for a few moments and seemed like she wanted to say something else, but Remus was saved when a Salamander came a bit too close and set the hem of Eve's robes on fire. She managed to extinguish the flames with an Aqua Eructo charm before they spread and caused any real damage.

"Reparo!" Remus used the repairing spell to fix her robes returning them to good as new.

"Thanks!" Eve smiled, making Remus' heart do an involuntary flipflop. He couldn't swallow due to his mouth being dry and couldn't wait for the class to be over. Fortunately, that time came soon enough and Eve and Remus parted ways with Eve heading to History of Magic and Remus going straight to Charms.

James threw an arm around Remus' shoulder and Sirius ruffled his hair. "I bet you enjoyed that lesson, eh Remy?" James teased, calling Remus by the affectionate nickname that Eve used for him.

Remus pushed him away. "Come off it, you two. Eve and I are just good friends, that's all."

"Right, mate, and Snivellus actually washes his hair," Sirius joked. Remus found himself laughing along with his three friends as they made their way to Charms class.


	4. Chapter 4

**One-Shot 4: Learning to Cook with Remus Lupin**

**22, December 1975**

The sound of the doorbell prompted Remus to look up from his Transfiguration Essay, which he had been working on for the past hour. He groaned as he stood up, having developed a few sore joints from sitting in the same position for an extended period. As he passed by the mirror that hung above the mantle, he stopped to study his appearance and tried to flatten the cow-lick that had sprung atop his head. After a few moments, he gave up attempting to make his hair behave. The Ministry was adamant about underage witches and wizards not being allowed to use magic outside of school unless it was an emergency, and Remus was certain a cow-lick didn't count as such.

The doorbell rang again and Remus realized that he was keeping the person outside waiting longer than necessary. After a quick eye sweep around the living room to make sure it appeared presentable enough, he opened the front door to see Eve standing before him. A cheerful grin was set upon her lips, making her blue-green eyes crinkle in the corners. Remus' lips twitched in amusement at the cow-lick that had made itself at home atop her wavy hair.

"Looks like we both have the same taste in hairstyles!" Her eyes traveled to the unruly piece of hair that was sticking up atop the young wizard's head and her eyes twinkled with mirth.

Leave it to Eve to break the ice by saying something silly. Laughing, Remus opened the door wider to let her in. It wasn't the first time Eve had visited his home since he had moved eleven years ago after one horrible night had left him with a curse that would affect him and those around him for the rest of his life. But it was the first time she had visited his house for the Christmas holidays.

"Thanks for letting me stay here." Eve unwound her scarf and removed her coat, revealing a very traditional ugly green Christmas sweater containing a picture of a niffler wearing a Santa Claus hat.

Remus took the coat and scarf and hung them for her on the coat rack beside the front door. He forced himself to take a few deep breaths, hoping that Eve wouldn't notice him fidgeting.

_Why am I acting this way? It's not the first time she's spent the night at my house._

He stole a glance at her, opening his mouth to say something when the phone rang. Remus' shoulders relaxed. It was just as well he was interrupted before he could say something foolish.

"That's probably my mum." He stepped into the kitchen to answer the phone.

"Tell her I said hi!" Eve called as she sat down on the brown and green plaid sofa and began pulling off her wool gloves.

Remus leaned against the doorway that separated the living room from the kitchen and brought the phone to his ear.

"Lupin residence, Remus speaking."

"Remus, honey…" As predicted, his mother was on the other end. His father, who worked at the Ministry, would have sent an owl instead.

"Hi, Mum!" Remus looked at the clock on the wall, which displayed the time as ten after five. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine, dear." Remus could have sworn he heard her sigh. "Listen, I know I was supposed to get off at six, but it seems there's been a rush in last-minute Christmas shoppers. I'm going to have to stay behind until at least eight, maybe even nine. Do you…." Her voice trailed off.

"What is it?" Remus could detect the exhaustion in his mother's voice. The holidays were always especially hard on her. He could only hope that her boss would give her this Christmas Day off as she hadn't had one in three years.

"Would you mind making dinner? I know it's a lot to ask, but I don't know if I'll have the energy to cook when I get home."

Remus didn't need to be asked twice. He would do anything for his mum. "Of course!" He didn't bother asking his mum if she had heard from his dad. The Ministry was busier than ever these days and Lyall Lupin rarely ever came home before nine o'clock. Sometimes he didn't walk through the front door until after eleven.

"Thank you, honey. I knew I could count on you." Remus felt his cheeks redden. "Now, there should be some chicken in the fridge. You could probably do something with that and I'm sure I bought some vegetables the other day. I think they're in the cupboard. I think there's enough seasoning. Oh and-"

Remus cut her off, knowing that she could go on for hours if allowed. "It'll be fine, Mum. Try not to overwork yourself too much. Oh and...Eve says hello."

"Give her my love. Oh, and Remus, try not to burn down the kitchen." It was her attempt at a little joke at the end.

"I'll be cooking with Eve, not James and Sirius. I don't think there will be much to worry about this time." Remus was sure that he would a less disastrous time with Eve than with his latter two friends. All three of them were pure-bloods, but Eve was more sensible and less liable to start a fire.

He said good-bye to his mother and hung up the phone before running his fingers through his hair. It wasn't the first time he had cooked dinner by himself, but he couldn't help wondering the same for Eve. He poked his head into the living room.

"Eve?" She looked up from the gardening magazine that she had been flipping through while he was on the phone. "How much do you know about cooking?"

She set the magazine on the glass surface of the pine coffee table. "You mean Muggle cooking?" He nodded. "Er…" She ran her hands through her dark-brown hair, snagging a few tangles on the way. "I can make ham and cheese sandwiches." She smiled sheepishly.

Remus chuckled. It came of no surprise that Eve didn't have any cooking experience. Her parents most likely used magic to help them when it came to cooking. Then when they were away at school, there was no need to cook either because the food just appeared out of thin air, courtesy of the house-elves in the kitchen.

"Do you want to learn? It's really easy." Not to mention, it would be more fun than her just sitting on the couch while he did all the work.

"I might burn down the kitchen." She looked away and bit down on her bottom lip.

"You won't because you're not James or Sirius." He could almost see his two best friends glaring at him indignantly as he 'slandered' their good names and the image made him chuckle.

Eve grinned and stood up. "Well, I suppose when you put it that way…" She joined him in the kitchen, which was felt small with two people.

Remus reached into the cupboard and handed Eve a frilly pale-yellow and white gingham patterned apron and took out a plain navy-blue apron for himself.

"This is so adorable!" Eve pulled the frilly apron over her head and tied it at the back.

Remus' cheeks turned a light shade of pink at how cute Eve looked, but he managed to tear his eyes away from her. Something more than friendship with her or any other girl, for that matter, was out of the question. A romantic relationship for a werewolf was impossible. It would only be a matter of time before he turned on her and ruined what they already had.

For now, he would push those thoughts to the back of his mind and focus only on the current task at hand, which was preparing a decent meal for his parents to come home to and enjoy.

"Could you get the package of chicken out of the fridge and the potatoes and carrots from the cupboard?"

Eve saluted him playfully and began to grab what was needed. While she did that, he gathered the dishes that would be needed to help prepare the meal.

"Do you know anything about peeling potatoes or carrots?" Eve shook her head, bewilderment on her face. Remus should have known that was a stupid question to ask. "Come over here." He steered her toward the sink and pulled out four carrots and four large potatoes and dropped them into the sink, letting the water run over them to clean them.

"Luckily, we have a peeler." He picked up the utensil to show her. "It's much easier and safer than using a knife and potentially cutting yourself. What you'll want to do is hold the potato in one hand like this." He demonstrated by picking up the potato and holding it in his left hand. "Then, you hold the peeler where it's resting between your thumb and middle finger. Use your pointer finger to hold it in position."

Eve nodded, encouraging Remus to continue. "When you peel, you want to move the blade upwards, away from you, like this." He began to peel part of the potato. "Don't worry about going too fast. It's better to take your time. The same method can be used for the carrots, although they're usually a lot easier to peel." He handed her the partially peeled potato. "Are you sure you got all that?"

Eve picked up the potato peeler and examined it closely. "Amazing the types of inventions Muggles come up with to make up for not being able to use magic." She turned the peeler over in her hands, her eyes twinkling with wonder.

"Now I know what I'm getting you for your birthday," he teased, earning a nudge from the Hufflepuff.

Trusting Eve to handle the vegetables by herself, Remus washed his hands thoroughly before beginning to cut the fat from the chicken, using a broad knife. He then cut the pieces of chicken down the middle to create separate strips.

"How long have you known how to cook?" Eve asked, tilting her head at him.

Remus looked up from the chicken, his forehead wrinkling for a few seconds as he drummed his fingers on the counter. "My mum started teaching me when I was around seven. Although, she didn't start letting me use the stove until I was ten, and even then she wouldn't allow me to use it unless she was in the kitchen with me." He looked towards the sink to see how she was doing with the peeling and winced slightly to see that she was peeling in small chunks.

"Are you having trouble?" He approached her to get a better look at what she was doing.

"Well…" Her cheeks flushed. She looked down into the sink and at the tiny peelings and chunks of potato that had come off in her attempts. "I guess I do need a little help."

Remus stood behind her, slightly off to the side and grabbed both of her hands to help her steady the potato and peeler. He was vaguely aware of the closeness of her and resisted the urge to breathe in the scent of her hair. But even breathing regularly, he still caught the fruit-scented shampoo that she used, as well as the smell of earth and grass that always seemed to cling to her from her constant excursions outside. Even with the few inches of separation between them, he could still feel her body heat radiating through that ugly Christmas sweater, which was slowly starting to grow on him. Her hands, even though damp from their recent washing, were still soft as he guided the peeler over the potato with her, struggling to keep his thoughts strictly platonic. He was just a friend helping another friend...a very pretty friend, one that he had known since he was three-years-old.

"This is just like in those cliche romantic movies." Eve's sudden words brought him out of his daydream.

"How do you mean?" Should I let go now and let her continue on her own?

"I mean, there's always a scene where the girl doesn't know how to do something properly, so the guy stands really close behind her and holds her while guiding her hands. It's in about eighty-percent of all romantic movies out there."

He couldn't help tickling her left side, making her giggle. "Oh, so I'm cliche, aren't I?"

"N-No!" She gasped between giggles and cringed away from him. "Come on, you know I'm ticklish there!"

Remus smirked. "That's why I do it." She continued to squirm away but was laughing hysterically as his fingertips vigorously ran over her side. "Who's cliche? Who's cliche?"

"Yo-You st-still are!" She struggled to push him away, but even though the skinniest of his friends, he still had enough strength to hold her. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "Okay, okay! You're not cliche!"

Remus grinned triumphantly and let her go. "See? Was that so hard?" He chuckled as she huffed at him and turned back to work on peeling the rest of the potatoes and carrots.

Seeing that Eve had finally gotten the hang of peeling, Remus returned his attention to the chicken. Once he had it cut up into thin strips with no trace of fat left on them, he dropped the pieces into a large mixing bowl where he began adding an assortment of spices and herbs: including lemon pepper, salt, a small amount of paprika, and basil.

"Do you want to mix all of that while I chop up the potatoes and carrots?" Remus looked up at Eve who had just finished chopping and peeling.

"How do I do that?" Eve quickly washed her hands once again.

"Just use your hands to mix the seasoning in really well. You don't have any small cuts on your hands do you?"

Eve checked both her hands over before shaking her head. The young witch and wizard traded places and Remus grabbed a clean chopping board to use for the vegetables while Eve sank her hands into the raw pieces of chicken.

"Ewwww, it feels so weird!" But her expression was one of pure joy as she began to move her hands around to mix the spices into the chicken. "But also nice at the same time."

Remus chuckled, unable to resist thinking that her enthusiasm was rather cute. "We'll sear the chicken in a skillet first to get it nice and crispy on the outside and cooked just enough on the inside. Then, we'll put it in the oven with the vegetables for the last ten or so minutes so that the seasonings mix in with the potatoes and carrots.

"My mouth is practically watering already." Eve smiled as she set the bowl of mixed chicken aside and stepped towards the sink again to wash her hands.

A few minutes later, Remus had the vegetables baking in the oven and the chicken browning in a skillet with a small amount of oil. "You don't want the heat on too high, or else the chicken will overcook and get dry. You'll want it to have just enough juiciness in the end."

"So chicken isn't one of those things you can have rare like you could with a steak?" Eve asked, peering over Remus' shoulder at the chicken.

"Merlin's beard, no! You try to eat chicken rare and it'll make you sick faster than a troll's fart would! There should be no pink part left in the chicken when it's done cooking."

"That's a lovely comparison." Eve's lips twitched as she snickered. "Sicker than a troll's fart."

"It was the only thing I could think of," Remus muttered as he flipped the chicken over to let it cook on the other side.

While Eve didn't do much in terms of helping to cook the meal, she was still great company, telling jokes and stories, making Remus laugh. He even let her transfer the chicken from the skillet to the baking dish with the vegetables to let it cook a little more.

"Now that you seem to know a little bit about preparing chicken and vegetables, next time I'll teach you how to prepare a whole turkey." Remus grinned at her, reaching forward to playfully tug on her hair.

"Do you even know how to prepare a turkey by yourself?"

She had caught him. "No, but I'll learn so that I can teach you."

He felt her smile all the way down to the pit of his stomach. When they were finally able to sit down and taste the food, they discovered that it was one of the most delicious meals they had ever tasted, made better by the company that they shared together.


End file.
